Plastic closure



July 19, 1966 R. c. ALLEN 3,261,516

PLASTIC CLOSURE Filed March 2, 1964 5 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,261,516 PLASTIC CLOSURE Richard C. Allen, Glen Ellyn, Ill., assgnor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 348,419 6 Claims. (Cl. 222-548) This invention relates to a novel plastic dispensing closure .and to a novel method of securing the dispensing closure to a plastic container `by a novel spin-welding process.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel method of securing a separable plastic dispensing closure to a plastic container by performing the steps of interlockingly assembling a plurality of caps which form the closure, positioning a peripheral skirt of an innermost one of the caps in spaced telescoped relationship to a neck of a container, and rapidly relatively rotating an outermost one of the caps thereby indirectly rotating the innermost cap relative to the container to fuse together the material of the innermost cap and the container whereby the dispensing closure is -fixedly secured to the container.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method of securing a plastic dispensing closure including innermost and outermost caps having peripheral skirts terminating in peripheral edges to a plastic container terminating in a neck by interlockingly assembling the caps in telescoped relationship, positioning the peripheral skirt of the innermost cap in telescoped spaced relationship to the neck of the container, rapidly relatively rotating the outermost cap and indirectly rotating the innermost cap with respect to the container, maintaining the skirt of the innermost cap and the neck of the container in relative spaced relation, and contacting the peripheral edge of the innermost cap against the container body whereby the material of the vinnermost cap and the container is fused together, and any excess material vwhich may flow during the fusion of the innermost cap and the container is permitted to enter the space between the neck of the container and the skirt of the innermost cap.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method of securing a plastic closure to the neck of a plastic container, the closure being of the type which includes innermost and outermost relatively rotatable caps having means for limiting the relative rotation thereof and including peripheral skirts terminating in peripheral edges comprising the steps of assembling the caps and telescoping the skirt of the innermost cap in spaced relationship to the neck of the container, rotating the outermost cap relative to the innermost cap until the limitin-g means prevents further relative rotation therebetween, thereafter rotating both caps relative to the container by solely rotating the outermost cap, and contacting the peripheral edge of the innermost cap against the container body whereby the material of the innermost cap and the container is fused together.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel method including each of the steps immediately above set out, in which the caps additionally include registrable dispensing openings by which the relative movement between the caps unregisters any of the openings in the caps which are in registration prior to the relative rotation between the caps.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing closure particularly adapted to be spinwelded to a container including an innermost and outermost relatively telscoped caps, each of the caps having an end wall provided with dispensing openings and a depending pe- Patented July 19, 1966 ripheral skirt, the openings being in registration in one relative position of rotation of the caps and out of registration in a second relative position of the caps, means automatically positioning the caps with the openings out of registration during the spin-welding of the closure to a container, and the peripheral skirt of the innermost cap having a smooth unbroken interior surface to facilitate and guide the rotation of the innermost cap relative to the neck of a container to which the closure is secured during a spin-Welding operation.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel container including -a container body having a neck, a cap having a skirt telescopically received on the neck, the skirt and neck being relatively spaced, and a peripheral edge of the skirt being secured to the container body by an area of fused material.

vAnother object of this invention is to provide a novel container including a container body terminating in a neck, an exterior peripheral rib on the neck, .a cap having a skirt telescopically received on the neck with the ri-b maintaining the skirt and neck .in relative spaced relationship, and a peripheral edge of the skirt being secured to the body by an area of fused material.

With the above, and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of a dispensing closure of this invention and illustrates a snap cap Iand a spin cap of the vclosure prior to the assembly thereof and a container with which the closure is associated.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary exploded top perspective view of the assembled snap cap and spin cap prior to being secured to .the container.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken through the axis of the assembled caps, and illustrates the spin cap being spin-welded to the container by rotating a chuck engaging the snap cap.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top view with parts broken away for clarity, and illustrates another dispensing closure secured to a container.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken .along line 5 5 of FIGURE 4, and illustrates a spin cap spin-welded to a container and a dispensing position of the dispensing closure.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4 after a snap cap of the closure has been rotated relative to the spin cap, and illustrates the non-dispensing position of the dispensing closure.

A novel combined dispensing closure and container is shown in FIGURES 1 through 3 of the drawing, and is generally designated by the reference numeral 8. The dispensing closure 4and container 8 includes a dispensing closure 10 having a spin cap 11 and a snap cap 12, while the container is generally designated by the reference numeral 14. The dispensing closure 10 and the container 14 are both preferably constructed from relatively resilient plastic material, such as polyethylene or similar plastic material.

The spin cap 11 has an end wall 13 integrally joined at a radius portion (unnumbered) to a depending peripheral skirt 15. A plurality `of identical dispensing openings 16 (FIGURE 1) are formed in the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11. In the preferred form of the invention,

there are seven such dispensing openings 16 formed in the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11. However, more or less than this nu-mber of dispensing openings can be provided in the spin cap 11.

The depending peripheral skirt 15 of the spin cap 11 includes an inner surface or wall 17, an upper external surface or wall 18, a lower external surface or wall spaced from the upper external surface 18 and a bottom edge 21. An external peripheral bead 22 forms an integral portion of the skirt 15 between the exterior surfaces 18 and 20.

A plurality of identical keys or projections 23 (FIG- URE 1) project radially outwardly beyond the upper external surface 18 of the skirt 15 between the annular bead 22 and the end wall 13. Each of the keys 23 includes oppositely directed abutment surfaces 24 and 25, the purpose of which will be described more fully hereafter.

The snap cap 12 comprises a substantially thick end wall 26 (FIGURE 3) which is centrally recessed and reduced in thickness at 27. The end wall 26 is joined by an annular radius portion 28 to a depending peripheral skirt 30. A bottom edge 31 of the peripheral skirt 30 has a camming surface or wall 32.

The camming wall 32 permits the snap cap 12 to be externally telescoped and secured to the spin cap 11 by a conventional snapping action which seats the bead 22 of the spin cap 11 in a radially inwardly directed annular groove 33 of the skirt 30. The bead 22 cooperates with a camming wall or surface 34 of the groove 33 to constantly urge a plurality of integral circular bosses 36 and `37 (FIGURES l and 3) into contact with the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11.

The bosses 36 and 37 are substantially identical except for the provision Iof an identical dispensing opening 38 in each of the bosses 36 whereas no such openings are provided in the bosses 37. In the preferred embodiment of this invention there are seven such bosses 36 corresponding to the seven dispensing openings 16 in the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11, and a single dispensing opening 38 in each of the bosses 36. The bosses 36 are spaced from each other and from the axis of the snap cap 12 a distance substantially equal to the spacing between adjacent ones of the dispensing openings 16 and the respective distance between each of the dispensing openings 16 and the axis of the spin cap 11.

The bosses 37 are similarly spaced and each boss 37 is positioned between adjacent ones of the bosses 36, as is clearly illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawing. The particular arrangement of the bosses 36, 37 and the dispensing openings 16 and 38 is such that the dispensing closure 10 can be either closed or opened for dispensing purposes by rotating the snap cap 12 with respect to the spin cap 11 in a manner which will be described fully hereafter.

The depending peripheral skirt of the snap cap 12 has an exterior surface 40 provided with an annular knurled portion 41 (FIGURE 3) to facilitate the gripping of the snap cap 12 both for purposes of dispensing and to secure the dispensing closure 10 to the container 14 in a manner to be described hereafter. An internal point the openings 16 and 38 are not in registration and wall or surface 42 of the skirt 30 is provided with a y p ment surface 46 of an .associated keyway 44 cooperates l with an abutment surface 24 on an associated key 23 of the spin cap 11 to limit the counterclockwise rotation of the snap cap 12 with respect to the spin cap 11, at which 37 of the snap Cap 12. When the snap cap 12 is rotated in a clockwise direction, again as visualized in FIG- URE l of the drawing, to bring the openings 16 and 38 into registration, each of the abutment surfaces 45 of the keyways 44 contacts an abutment :surface 25 of an associated key 23 of the spin cap 11, to stop the rotati-on of the snap cap 12 in a position Iin which the openings 16 and 38 are substantially axially aligned (FIG- URE 3). This clockwise rotation of the snap cap 12 with respect to the spin cap 11 to bring the openings 16 and 38 into registration in the dispensing position of the dispensing closure 10 is opposite to the normal counterclockwise rotation required to open a conventional closure.

The container 14 comprises a container body 50 having a shoulder 51 integrally joined to an upstanding neck 52 terminating in an upper edge 53 defining an opening (unnumbered) of the container 14. The neck 52 of the container 14 has a lower peripheral wal-l or surface 54, an upper peripheral wall or surface 55 and an outwardly directed shallow annular `bead yor rib 56 between the walls 54 and 55, as is best illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 3 of the drawing.

In accordance with the novel method of this invention, the snap cap 12 is rst assembled to the spin cap 11 by telescoping the peripheral skirts 15 and 30 relative to leach other until the bead 22 of the skirt 15 snaps into the groove 33 Iof the snap cap 12. In the assembled position of the dispensing closure 10, the keys 23 are each positioned in an associated one of the keyways 44 of the snap cap 12, and depending upon the position of the keys 23 and the keyways 44, the dispensing openings 16 and 38 in the respective spin and snap caps 11 and 12 are either in complete registration as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, or are completely unregistered with the bosses 37 overlying the closing an associated one of the openings 16, or are in partial registration.

The container 14 is then lled with a dusty or pulverulent product, such as baby powder, which is to be dispensed therefrom. This is accomplished Aby merely lling the container 14 through the opening (unnumbered) in the neck 52 of the container 14.

The dispensing closure 10 is then telescoped with respect to the neck 52 of the container 14 inthe manner clearly illustrated in FIGURE 3 with the inner surface 17 of the spin cap 11 being slightly spaced from the upper and lower external surfaces 55 and 54 respectively of the neck 52 by -the rib 56. The skirt 15 of the spin cap 11 is thus spaced from a major portion of the neck 52 of the container 14 by a narrow annular space or volume 57 and the bottom edge 21 of the depending skirt 15 rests upon the shoulder 51 of the container 14 closely adjacent the neck 52.

The assembled container 14 and the dispensing closure 10 is then positioned beneath a vertically reciprocal and rotatable driving tool 60 which is normally spaced above and in axial alignment with the container 14.

The driving tool 60 forms a portion of a conventional spin-welding machine (not shown) which may, for example, comprise an air cylinder into which is received a piston rod 61 of the driving tool 60. The piston rod 61 is driven in a conventional manner by a variable speed motor (also not shown) in order `that the rotational speed of the driving tool 60 can be varied. The driving tool 60 includes an annular skirt 62 which frictionally grips the knurled portion 41 of the snap cap 12 when the driving tool 60 is reciprocated downwardly to the position illustrated in FIGURE 3. The driving tool 60 also includes a plurality of downwardly directed bosses 63 (only one of whichis shown in FIGURE 3) which corresponds to the number of dispensing openings 38 in the snap cap 12 and which seats in the openings 38 as shown in FIGURE 3.

With the driving tool 60 positioned as show in FIG- URE 3 of the drawing and the container 14 held in a conventional chuck (not shown) the variable speed motor is energized to rotate the piston rod 61 and the driving tool 60. The rotation of the driving tool 60 is imparted to the snap cap 12 through the frictional contact between the annular skirt 62 and the knurled portion 41 as well as through the engagement of the bosses 63 in the dispensing openings 38. The rotation of the snap cap 12 is imparted to the spin cap 11 by the abutting contact between the surfaces 24 and 25 of the plurality of keys 23 with the respective surfaces 45 and 46 of the keyways 44 depending upon the direction in which the driving Itool 60 and the spin cap 12 are rotated. Since the counterclockwise rotation of the snap cap 12 with respect to the spin cap 11 places the dispensing closure 10 in the non-dispensing position thereof with the bosses 37 -overlying the dispensing openings 16 in the spin cap 11, the driving tool 60 is preferably rotated in a counterclockwise direction as is indicated by the directional arrow of FIGURE 3. If the surfaces 24 and 46 of the respective keys 23 and keyways 44 are in engagement the spin cap 11 will immediately rotate in a counterclockwise direction. However, if the dispensing closure is in the dispensing position thereof with the dispensing openings 16 and 38 in axial alignment, the snap cap 12 will rotate relative to the spin cap 11 until the surfaces 46 and 24 are in abutment, after which lboth caps will rotate simultaneously.

During this rotation of the snap cap 12 and the spin cap 11, air is introduced into the air cylinder of the conventional spin-welding apparatus to force the driving tool 60 downwardly as viewed in FIGURE 3 of the drawings at a predetermined pressure to force the bottom edge 21 of the spin cap skirt 15 against the shoulder51 of the container 14. The combination of the heatvof friction between the bottom edge 21 of the skirt 15, and. the shoulder 51 of the container 14 and the pressure applied by the driving tool 60'c'auses the material of both the container and the skirt to melt and flow.

'The rotation of the driving tool 60 is then stopped by a. conventional clutch mechanism (not shown) and the melt solidies and fuses to form a generally annular spin weld area 64 (FIGURE 3) between the bottom edge 21 of the skirt 15 and the shoulder 51 of the container 14. A portion of the material forming the spin-weld area 64 flows into the annular volume 57 between the surfaces17 and 54 of the respective spin cap 11 and the 'neck 52 during the spin-weldingy operation and is entrapped therein. After the material forming. the spinweld 64 has solidied, the piston rod 61 is reciprocated upwardly -to relieve the pressure between the spin cap 11 and the container 14. After the drive tool 60 is spaced suciently above the dispensing closure 10, the container 14 is removed from the chuck (not shown) and an additional container and dispensing closure may then -be spin- Welded together in the manner just described.

A product packaged in the .container 14 is dispensed therefrom by rotating the snap cap 12 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2 of the drawing until the openings 16 and 18 of the respective caps 11 and 12 are in axial alignment as shown in FIGURE 3. When .the dispensing operation is completed, the snap cap 12 is merely rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2 of the drawing until the bosses 37 overlie and close the dispensing opening 16 in the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11.

Another dispensing closure of this invention is shown in FIGURES 4 through 6 of the drawing and is generally designated by the reference numeral 65. The dispensing closure 65 comprises a snap cap 66 and a spin cap 67, each of which is preferably constructed from plastic material such as polyethylene or similar thermoplastic material.

The spin cap 67 comprises an end wall 68 having upper and lower surfaces (unnumbered). The end wall 68 of the spin cap 67 is joined to an integral depending peripheral skirt 70 by an annular radius portion 71. A plurality of dispensing openings 72, only one of which is illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 are formed in the end wall 68 of the spin cap 67. There are seven such dispensing openings 72 and the relationship of adjacent ones of the openings 72 as well as the distance of each of the openings 72 from the axis of the spin cap 67 is identical, for the purposes of this invention, to the relationship of the dispensing openings 16 of the spin cap 11.

Midway between each of the dispensing openings 72 in the end wall 68 of the spin cap 67 is an upwardly directed integral convex boss 73. There are seven such bosses 73 with each boss being positioned between adjacent ones of the openings 72, and each boss is spaced from the axis `of the spin cap 67 a distance equal to the distance between the axis of the spin cap 67 and the dispensing openings 72.

The peripheral skirt 70 of the spin cap 67 terminates in a bottom edge 74 and includes an integral external annular bead 75. The bead 75 of the skirt 70 is identical to the bead 22 of the skirt 15 and it is therefore considered unnecessary to describe the bead 75 for a complete understanding of the construction and operation of the dispensing closure 65.

The snap cap 66 of the dispensing closure 65 comprises a thickened end wall 76 having a reduced central area 77. The end wall 76 of the snap cap 66 is integrally joined by an annular radius portion 78 to a depending peripheral skirt 80 telescoped abo-ut the skirt 70 of the spin cap 67, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawing.

The end wall 76 of the snap cap 66 is provided with a plurality of dispensing openings 81, only one of which is shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings. There are preferably seven such dispensing openings 81, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawing, and each of the dispensing openings 81 is spaced from an adjacent opening 81 a distance equal to the spacing between the dispensing opening 72 in the end wall 68 of the spin cap 67 The dispensing openings 81 are also `spaced a distance from the axis of the snap cap 66 equal to the distance between the opening 72 and the axis of the spin cap 67. Thus, in a dispensing position of the dispensing closure 65 (FIGURE 7), the plurality of dispensing openings 72 and 81 are in alignment.

Midway between adjacent ones Iof the plurality of dispensing openings 81 in the end wall 76 of the snap cap 66 is a downwardly opening concave recess or identation 82, only one -of which is illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawing. There are seven such recesses 82 in the end wall 76 of the snap cap 66, and each recess 82 is spaced from the axis of the snap cap 66 a distance corresponding to the spacing of the bosses 73 from the axis of the spin cap 67. Thus, the bosses 73 and the recesses 82 are in axial alignment when the snap cap 66 and the spin cap 67 are positioned as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawing, with the dispensing openings 72 and 81 in registration. The snap cap 66 is rotated in veither a yclockwise o-r a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 4 to bring the dispensing openings 72 and 81 out of registration, as shown in FIGURE 6 of the drawing. The entry of the bosses 73 into the dispensing openings 81 provides positive stops for securing the caps 66 and 67 in the lnon-dispensing position thereof .(FIGURE 6) while the entrance of the bosses 73 into prior to securing the dispensing closure 65 to a container 83 by the spin-welding process heretofore described, a bottom edge 84 of the skirt 80 is spaced slightly above the bottom edge of the skirt 7) of the spin cap 67. This slight projection of the bottom edge 74 of the skirt 70 beyond the bottom edge 84 of the skirt 80 allows the skirt 70 to be spin-welded to a shoulder 85 of the container 83 in a manner identical to that heretofore described in the consideration of the dispensing closure 10, without the occurrence of a spin-weld developing between the bottom edge 84 of the skirt 80 and the shoulder 85.

The skirt 80 of the snap ycap 66 has a radially inward- 1y opening annular groove 86 including a camming surface or wall 87 against which an annular bottom edge (unnumbered) of the annular bead 75 coacts in the manner heretofore described in connection with the dispensing closure 10. Thus, the spin caps 67 and the snap cap 66 are assembled in a manner substantially identical to the assembly of the dispensing closure 10, except that the dispensing closure 65 has no keys or keyways corresponding to the respective elements 23 and 44 Iof the dispensing closure 10. However, the bosses 73, the recesses 82 and the plurality of dispensing openings 81 in the end wall 76 prevent the rotation of the snap cap 66 relative to the spin cap 67 when the b-osses 73 are engage-d in the recesses 82 or in the dispensing openings 81. Thus, the container 83 can be first filled with a dispensible pulverulent product through an open neck 88 thereof, identical to the neck 82 of the container 14, after which the dispensing closure 65 can be spin-welded to the shoulder 85 in the manner identical to that heretofore discussed. It should be particularly noted that if the dispensing closure is in the position shown in FIGURE 5 with the bosses 73 engaging in the recesses 82 the spin cap 67 will be driven or rotated by the snap cap 66 through this interlocking or keying arrangement o-f the bosses and indentations. The spin cap 67 is similarly rotated by the snap cap 66 when the bosses 73 are engaged in the dispensing openings 81 of the snap cap 66 as shown in FIGURE 6 of the drawings.

When the driving tool 60 is coupled to the dispensing closure 65, the spin cap 67 is indirectly rotated through the snap cap 66 to melt the material at the bottom edge 74 Iof the skirt 70 and the shoulder 85 to form a generally annular spin-Weld area 89, a portion of which ows in an annular volume or space 90 between the neck 88 of the container 83 and the skirt 70 of the spin cap 67. No welding occurs between the shoulder 85 of the container 83 and the bottom edge 84 of the snap cap skirt 80 because of the slightly greater length of the spin cap skirt 70, as has been heretofore noted.

While the spin caps 11 and 67, the snap caps 12 and 66, and the containers 14 and 83 have been described as being proferably constructed from plastic material, such as polyethylene, it is within the scope of this invention to construct each of these elements from other material su-ch as metal so l-ong as the dispensing closures and the containers are compatible with the product packaged therein.

It is also desirable, but not necessary, to form the container 83 from the same material as the spin cap 67 in order that a high strength spin weld between these elements is achieved. That is, in the case of plastic material, ydissimilar plastic material can be spin-welded together but as a gene-ral rule the strength of the spin welded joint is generally less than that achieved when identical materials are spin-welded together.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the desired end. However, attention is again directed to the fact that variations may be made in the example dispensing closures and containers, the components thereof and the method of securing the dispensing closures to the containers without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a plastic container body including a neck, an exterior peripheral rib on said neck, -a plastic cap having a skirt telescopically received on said neck with said rib maintaining the skirt Iand neck in relative spaced relationship to define a circumferential void therebetween, and a peripheral edge of said skirt being secured to said body by a quantity of fused material from both said skirt and body with .a portion of said quantity of fused material being located in said void.

2. A container comprising a plastic container body including a neck, a plastic cap having a skirt telescopically received on said neck, means spacing said skirt and neck to define a circumferential void therebetween, and said skirt and body being spin-welded together by a quantity of fused m-aterial from both said skirt and body with a portion of said quantity of fused material being located in said void.

3. A container comprising a plastic container body including a neck, a plastic cap having a skirt telescopically received on sai-d neck, means spacing said skirt and neck to dene a circumferential void therebetween, and said skirt and body being fused together by a quantity of fused material from both said skirt and body with a portion of said quantity of fused material being located in said void.

4. A container comprising a plastic container body including a neck, a first plastic cap having an end panel and a peripheral skirt, a second Iplastic cap having an end panel and a peripheral skirt, said peripheral skirts being in telescopic relationship to each other and to said neck, Imeans spacing said first cap skirt and neck to dene a circumferential void therebetween, said rst cap and body being spin-welded together by a quantity of fused material from both said skirt and body with a portion of said quantity of fused material being located in said void, said caps including registrable dispensing opening means, and means for limiting the rotation of said caps relative to each other between a position at which said dispensing opening means are out of registration and another position at which said dispensing opening means are in registration.

'5. A -container comprising a plastic container body including a neck, a plastic cap having a skirt telescopically received on said neck, means spacing said skirt and neck to define a circumferential void therebetween, and said cap and body being spin-Welded together by a quantity of fused material from both said cap and body with a portion of said quantity of fused material being located in said void.

6. A container comprising a plastic container body including `a neck, a plastic cap having a skirt telescopically received on said neck, means spacing said skirt and neck to dene a circumferential void therebetween, and a peripheral edge of said skirt being secured to said body by a quantity of fused material from both said skirt and body with a portion of said quantity of fused material being located in said void.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,445,736 2/ 1923 Wilcox 222-548 1,669,884 5/1928 Wacker 222-548 X 2,064,189 12/ 1936 Bodor 222-548 2,088,607 8/ 1937 Peters 222-548 2,206,209 7/ 1940 Thorn 222-548 2,449,285 9/ 1948 Ekstrom 222-548 X 2,526,397 10/1950 Nyden et al. 222-548 2,627,992 2/ 1953 Kurz 222-555 X 2,633,894 4/1953 Carwile 156-73 2,785,841 3/ 1957 Westgate 222-545 (Other references on following page) UNITED Wallberg 222-485 X 10 FOREIGN PATENTS 4/ 1961 France. 5/ 1938 Great Britain.

5 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

WALTER SOBIN, Examiner. 

4. A CONTAINER COMPRISING A PLASTIC CONTAINER BODY INCLUDING A NECK, A FIRST PLASTIC CAP HAVING AN END PANEL AND A PERIPHERAL SKIRT, A SECOND PLASTIC CAP HAVING AN END PANEL AND A PERIPHERAL SKIRT, SAID PERIPHERAL SKIRTS BEING IN TELESCOPIC RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER AND TO SAID NECK, MEANS SAPCING SAID FIRST CAP SKIRT AND NECK TO DEFINE A CIRCUMFERENTIAL AVOID THEREBTWEEN, SAID FIRST CAP AND BODY BEING SPIN-WELDED TOGETHER BY A QUANTITY OF FUSED MATERIAL FROM BOTH ASAID SKIRT AND BODY WITH A PORTION OF SAID QUANTITY OF FUSED MATERIAL BEING LOCATED IN SAID VOID, SAID CAPS INCLUDING REGISTRABLE DISPENSING OPENING MEANS, AND MEANS FOR LIMITING THE ROTATION OF SAID CAPS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER BETWEEN A POSITION AT WHICH SAID DISPENSING OPENING MEANS ARE OUT OF REGISTRATION AND ANOTHER POSITION AT WHICH SAID DISPENSING OPENING MEANS ARE IN REGISTRATION. 